Kid Mystic: Enchanted Edition

This is an excellent reinterpretation of a classic old game that I played the HECK out of when I was younger. This game got me hooked on ARPGs. Thank you for preserving this game forever!

Kid Mystic: Enhanced Edition is very fun! I have had some hard parts but passed them eventually. 9/10

I've been a fan of Hamumu since 2001, when I first played [i]The Adventures of Bouapha: Spooky Castle[/i] on [i]eGames 101 Incredible Games Collector's Edition[/i]. I was so obsessed with that game that when my dad found [i]Spooky Castle: The Adventures of Kid Mystic[/i] in a KB Toys, it was a guaranteed slam dunk of a gift. I've returned to [i]Kid Mystic[/i] several times since, eventually enjoying the fruits of its 2004 update, and always appreciating the charm and hard work that Mike Hommel pours into his creations. I was beyond excited to learn that [i]Kid Mystic[/i] had a Steam port, complete with another update, and I was not disappointed! The gameplay remains solid, the visuals (although a bit dated in terms of resolution these days) are still charming, and the new additions are refreshing and welcome. I found the game a bit easier than I remembered it being, but I am also decades older and benefit from having beaten the game several times. The inclusion of 1999 and Classic modes proves just how much of a love letter this is to Hamumu fans (not to mention the ability to switch to the "classic music," which is just the same music in a lossier format. I have no idea why you would want such a thing, but the fact that it's included for those that do is pretty awesome). It isn't all solid gold. Mike has spoken on his blog about [i]Kid Mystic's[/i] lack of community tools allowing him to hard-code in unique gamemodes and mechanics exclusive to specific levels. This blog post was in reference specifically to the log riding levels, which are a refreshing change of pace to the typical level structure and work well. Madam Kromch's levels... less so. The mechanics of the stew-brewing levels feel very tacked on, and the grading is unnecessarily harsh and fickle. You'll either fail miserably or inexplicably S-rank them. I have conflicting feelings about the Ghostbusters level, which I enjoyed more but also found kind of clunky. The Horboxes level is pretty good though (despite the outmoded [i]Harry Potter[/i] reference). There is also some jankiness in general with some of the puzzle design, and the XP and money curves are pretty easy to game, allowing players to max out long before the final world (which makes all of the rewards thereafter obsolete, especially the reward for beating New Game Plus). All of these flaws can be chalked up to the game's nature as a solo dev production. But that's also where the game's charm comes from - Jamul puts in stuff that he thinks is cool. I'll put up with some of the rough edges if that's what it takes to get access to his raw creativity. All of that to say: [i]Kid Mystic[/i] holds up. It was good then, it's good now, and the love Mike continues to put into his classic properties is heartwarming and inspiring. Well worth purchasing again (more content than ever for less than its launch price, and them's 1999 dollars)!